Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Lectio Divina: Read

Several years ago, our Circle Lesson suggested we use Lecto Devina on a scripture passage.  Not knowing what it was, I googled it.  According to Wikipedia:

Historically, Lectio Divina has been a "community practice" performed by monks in monasteries. Although it can be taken up individually, its community element should not be forgotten.[16]
Lectio Divina has been likened to "feasting on the Word": first, the taking of a bite (lectio); then chewing on it (meditatio); savoring its essence (oratio) and, finally, "digesting" it and making it a part of the body (contemplatio).[20] In Christian teachings, this form of meditative prayer leads to an increased knowledge of Christ.[5][6]

Lectio ("read")[edit]


Hands on the Bible, Albrecht Dürer, 16th century.
these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God
The first step is the reading of Scripture. In order to achieve a calm and tranquil state of mind, preparation before Lectio Divina is recommended.[2] The biblical reference for preparation via stillness is Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God."[2] An example would be sitting quietly and in silence and reciting a prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to guide the reading of the Scripture that is to follow.[16]
The biblical basis for the preparation goes back to 1 Corinthians 2:9–10 which emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in revealing the Word of God.[29] As in the statement by John the Baptist in John 1:26 that "Christ stands in the midst of those who seek him", the preparatory step should open the mind to finding Christ in the passage being read.[30]
Following the preparation the first movement of Lectio Divina is slow and gradual reading of the scriptural passage, perhaps several times.[2]The biblical basis for the reading goes back to Romans 10:8–10 and the presence of God's word in the believer's "mouth or heart".
The attentive reading begins the process through which a higher level of understanding can be achieved.[16] In the traditional Benedictine approach the passage is slowly read four times, each time with a slightly different focus.[2]


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